Improved velocipede



.8. PERRY V-elocpede.

No. 87,287. Patented Feb. 23,; 1869.

met l itin.

STUART PERRY, OF NE"WPORT,NEW YORK.

Letters Patent No. 87,287, dated Febr-awry 23, 1869.

'IMPROVED VELOCIPEDE.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent: and making part of the same.

To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, STUART PERRY, of Newport, in the county of Herkimer, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Velocipedes, and that the following is a full, clear, and eX- act description ofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying' drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a perspective view of the velocipede.

Figure 2,1'epresents a longitudinal vertical section through the same.

Figures 3 and 4 represent details or' the machine, which will be hereafter referred to.

Similar letters of reference, where they occur in the separate figures, denote like parts in both of the drawmv's. i

ldy invention consists, first, in the use of two loose or disconnected driving-Wheels, in' connection with a ratchet and pawl, for one or both of said wheels, and operated by the rider or riders on the machine, for propelling it.

My invention further consists in such a combination of paWl, ratchet, stops, and connections, as that the usual clicking-sound of the pawl, as it passes over the teeth of the ratchet, shall be prevented.

My invention further consists in a means of increasing the leverage of the-operatingmechanism, so as to facilitate the propulsion when on ascending grades.

My invention further consists in a mechanism by which the rider, in his seat, may manage the guiding or fifth-wheel by his hands and byhis feet both, and without necessarily stopping the propulsion of the machine. t

- My invention further consists in hinging the arm to the rack, and combiningit with a slide on the hand-y lever, so that the moving of the hands, whilst operating the lever longitudinally upon'it, will move said arm also, andthrough it the guide-wheel.

My invention further consists in such a combination of pawl and lever as that, when the velocipede is running on a descent, or by gravity, the /pawl may he thrown and held out of action, and thus render it unnecessary to vibrate the driving-lever, or allow it to vibrate. l

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I-will proceed to describe the same with Areference to the drawings.

ator or rider in the seat C, and be turned or held in any guiding-position by his hands, feet, or both, as will be explained.

The driving-wheels B B are hung loosely upon the axle 'D, which latter, for the sake of lightness, with strength, may be tubular.

On the axle D, and near the hub of each of the driving-wheels B B, there is placed a drum, a, with a coiled spring, b, therein, and to .each of said drums there is pivoted a dog or pawl, c, which acts in connection with a ratchet, d, on the hub of its respective driving-wheel.

To the seat or body of the vehicle, as, for instance, at e, and to each side of said seat or body, there .is fpivoted a lever, E, which levers, at their' upper ends, maybe connected by a rod or bar, f, by which they are operated. Or they may not be connected, as will be hereafter explained, and still accomplish the same'purpose.

The perimeters of the drums c are grooved, so as to receive and hold a cord, chain, or strap, g, which surrounds, or nearly so, the saiddrums; and to a ring orl loop, 1, on said cord g, is attached a cord, chain, or strap, h, the other end of which is connected to the lower end of the lever E.

From said ring or loop l there also extends a cord,

chain, or strap, i, which passes through guides or deadeyes, 2,2, on their' respect-ive levers E, and, by a knot or knots, 3, or equivalent holding-device, may be connected to a fork or holder, 4, near the tops of saidlevers. The object of these cords t' is to increase the leverage, and thus facilitate the propulsion of the machine on ascending grades.

F is a brake-shaft, passing through underneath the seat, and it, too, as well as any or all of the other iron parts of the machine, may be made of tubing, for lightness and strength.

On the outer ends of this shaft F are brake-blocks, j, which are applied to the wheels B by a foot-lever, k, attached to said shaft, and by which it can be rocked or rolled, or moved sufficient for that purpose, by the rider, in his seat, applying his foot to said lever k.

lVhen the foot is removed from the lever, a spring l, under the seat, by its recoil, removes the brake-'blocks from the wheels by moving the shaft F.

The wheels are united by the floor G of the body, which door I propose to make of light and strong wood, bent into the form shown more distinctly in ig.2, using metal fastenings where it is united to or bears upon the axles ofthe front and rear wheels.

Underneath the body Gr there is a guide-piece, m, that controls the swinging of the levers E, they being united at their lower ends by a rod or bar, n, extending across from one to the other.

The axle o of the' front wheel A is very short, and, upon each end of it, and on each side of the wheel, there is supported a frame-work, p, on which is placed a spindle, q, and over this spindle passes a sleete or bearing, r, fast on the front ofthe body G of the carriage, which, at that part of it, rises up into the form of a dash-board.

Between the sleeve or hearing r and -the frame* p there is a rubber or other spring, or flexible bearing, s, to take oiic the jar of the wheel in passing uneven places.

Or, instead ofthe spring, as above described, there may be a bent or grasshopper-spring, as shown in red lines, at which is fastened to the sleeve vor bearing r, and curves upward, outward, and thence inward, and its point pressing or bearing upon the top of' the spindle q. This plan of spring-bearing relieves the wheel of much of the weight and friction due to the other plan, and may therefore he regarded as the best.

On top of the spindle g there is a segmental-geant, which worksinto a rack, u, that can slide on a bar, v, on the body G of' the carriage, and to this rack is connected a lever, H, that extends back toward the oper ators seat, and may rest in a grooved slide, w, upon the bar f, that connects the two levers E at their tops.

The object of laying the lever H in the groove of the slide wis that, in propelling the velocipede, the operator may grasp the bar j, with one hand ou each side of said slide, and, without stopping the motion of the driving-levers, or removing his hands therefrom, but simply sliding them along on the barj, turn the guidingwheel to the right or left, or hold it in the desired po'- sition at pleasure, whilst he continuesto propelV the vehicle.

That this guiding operation may be aided by the foot or feet of the user, I arrange on the sliding rack a foot-lever, x, by which the rack is moved, and through it the segment t, and the frame p, and wheel A in it.

Or a curved are, y, may extend from'one arm or part of the frame 1) to another corresponding part, said arc y being furnished with projections s, between which the feet of'. the operator may be placed, and, by mov-v ing his feet, move said arc, the frame to which it is attached, and the guide-wheel in the frame, or'the wheel or frame may be held in the desired position by this footarc y.

Thus, by his hands on the slide w, by his foot on the lever x, or by his feet on the arc y, they operator, or the rider on the seat with him, may guide and direct the velocipede.

Instead of using a bar, j', for connecting the two levers E together, there may be used separate levers, E', with their tops formed as atf, so Vthat the drivingwheels need not both be moved at once or together, but independent of each other, if so preferred, as seen at fig. 3.

It will be perceived that Vthe bar f, by which the power to propel the velocipede is applied to the driving-wheels, is. about on a horizontal plane with the arms oi the rider or riders on the seat C, and the motion ofthe arms is like that .of rowing aboat, viz; by drawing ythelbar f toward the person, and allowing it to movethe other way, for the next succeeding pull, by the recoil ofthe springs bin the drums, winding up the cords g, which may be aided by the operator also; and, instead of working the arms back and forth to propelthe velocipede, a light harness, I, iig. 4, may be applied to the body of the user, and fastened to the bar for the levers, and then, by swaying his body, he can continue to propel the velocipedc, whilst his arms can be rested; or, even the seat may be made to rock with the body of the rider, and thus communicate motion to the driving-levers. l

These changes of the way of applying the power to thc.drivingwheels bring into acticn a different set oi' the muscles of the body, and more than one way may be applied to each velocipede, so that` there may -be a rest ol' one set of muscles whilst the others are working.

When the velocipede is running on descendil 1g ground, or by its momentum or gravity, the rider, by drawing the bar f toward his person, and holding it there, disconnects the pawl and ratchet-action, and the wheels B are then free to run, without any clicking noise, and without working the ievels E.

By drawing vthe bar f toward himself, the drums a. a are turned, so that the dogs c, upon them, will be underneath, instead of on top, and the dogs, being pivoted and overpoised, they drop out of connection with the ratchets, and leave the wheels B free to turn.

`When the bar fis let go, or moved outward from the person, then the drums turn until the dogs are on top again, when the same gravity or overpoise that dropped them out oi' connection with the ratchets, as above described, now acts to keep them in action with their ratchets, and to slip over said teeth when returning for a new propelling-action.

By taking up the cords t, and fastening them to the points 4 on the levers E, the leverage between said 1evers and the drive-wheels is increased, and facilitates the ascent of up-grades; but this increased power is at the expense of forward `moti-on or speed, as must be the case. i

The lever H is hinged on the rod c, so that'it may be swung forward out of the way, when the rider or riders are entering the carriage. V

For a similar-purpose the bar f is detached from the levers'E, and the levers themselves may be swung back out of the way, and held by a pin, catch, or stop on the seat, orunder the body of the carriage.

The feet-guides a: and y may be in the form of springs, with a stud or projection on their under sides, tha-twill, when pressed down b y the foot or feet, take into or hold on toa keeper or catch, to hold the guide in a certain position, and thus insure its steadiness.

Guiding by hand and foot, or feet both, makes that operation more certain, for, when done by either alone, a slip would cause an upset or collision, whilst, with both, such accident would not be likely to occur.

The propelling of' a velocipede by the swaying of the body of the rider, whether with or without the use of' the arms, constitutes one of the main features of my invention, this swaying motion and power being trans mitted to the driving-wheel or wheels through suita ble levers andother power-transmitting devices.

Havingthus fully described my invention,

What I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In the construction of velocipe'des, the Acombina-- tion oftwo loose or disconnected driving-wheels, in connection with one or more ratchet and pand-attachments, and suitable levers for operating them, as and for the purpose described and represented.

2. Also, in combination with a pawl, ratchet, and stopccnnections, for driving or revolving driving-wheels, a pivoted an'd weighted, instead of a spring-pawl, so that the usual clicking-sound of the pawl, as it passes over the teeth of the ratchet, shall be prevented, as de, scribed.

3. Also, in combination with the driving-levers and their connection with the driving-wheels, the cord fi, and'its attachments to said lever, for the purpose of increasing the leverage, to 4facilitate the propulsion on asceinling-gra-des, substantially as described.

4. Also, a mechanism by which the rider, in his seat on the velocipede, may manage or control the guidingwheel by his hands and by his feet both, and without stopping, necessarily, the propelling of the vehicle, substantially as described.

5. Also, hinging the lever II to the rack-1 od, and combining said lever with a slide upon the bar, f, so that the moving of the hands laterally, whilst operating the driving-levers, will move said lever' H and the guide-wheel, as may be desired, and as set forth.

6. Also, so arranging the pivoted and weighted pawls on the drums as that, when said drums are revolved a half revolution, or thereabouts, the pawls will, by their own weight, drop out of action with the ratchets, and

thus, on descending-ground, allow the driving-wheels to run free, without working the driving-levers, substantially as described.

STUART PERRY. Witnesses:

Jeux G. Banni', A. M. Mints. 

